Animal Experimentation and Research Commons^™

Comparative Potency Testing Of Diphtheria Toxoid In Guinea Pigs And Mice For In-House Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis And Diphtheria-Tetanus Vaccines, Wanlop Leeden, Supanee Ummalukacholk, Orawin Mangkhaladul, Eakachai Prompetchara

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: Diphtheria remains endemic in parts of Thailand and continues to threaten unvaccinated populations. To strengthen vaccine self-sufficiency, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization has developed in-house diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) and diphtheria– tetanus (dT) vaccines. Potency testing of diphtheria toxoid is traditionally performed in guinea pigs; however, limitations in animal availability, cost, and logistics have prompted evaluation of alternative models.
Objectives: To compare diphtheria toxoid potency estimates of in-houseproduced DTP and dT vaccines using guinea pigs and mice, followed by a Vero cell-based toxin neutralization assay, and to assess the suitability of mice as an alternative model for potency testing.
Materials and Methods: …

Effect Of Partial Ablation Of Skeletal Dynamin Related Protein 1 On Mitochondrial Health, Inflammation, And Fibrosis In A Mouse Model Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Tessa L. Duzz

Graduate Masters Theses

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscle weakness, degeneration, fibrosis, and impaired muscle regeneration. Mitochondrial dysfunction is an early pathological feature of DMD and has been linked to excessive mitochondrial fission. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a central regulator of mitochondrial fission, a key process in regulating mitochondrial quality and function. Inhibition of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission has shown promise as a potential therapeutic target for alleviating pathology and dysfunction in dystrophic muscle. The objective of this study was to determine whether partial skeletal muscle-specific ablation of Drp1 could improve muscle pathology and mitochondrial health in …

Fish Tissue Digestion And Microplastic Polymer Identification Protocol Using Open-Source Ftir Database, Shawn L. Kissinger, Vick-Ariel Privert, Jason Bystriansky, Kyle A. Grice

DePaul Discoveries

Microplastic (MP) contamination in aquatic ecosystems poses significant concerns for environmental and public health, as seafood represents a critical food source worldwide. Despite increasing evidence of MP presence in marine organisms, efficient and accessible detection methods remain essential for characterizing contamination patterns and informing regulatory frameworks. This study extracted MPs from brain, gill, intestine, liver, and muscle tissues of gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), two commercially important species from the Gulf of Cádiz, Spain, using a NaOH–HNO₃ chemical digestion protocol. Isolated particles were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, with …

Online Decoding Of Rat Self-Paced Locomotion Speed From Eeg Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Alejandro De Miguel, Nelson Totah, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective. Accurate and reliable neural decoding of locomotion holds promise for advancing clinical applications such as rehabilitation and prosthetic control, as well as for understanding neural correlates of action. Recent studies have demonstrated successful decoding of locomotion kinematics across species in motorized treadmill settings. However, efforts to decode locomotion speed directly and continuously in more natural contexts—where pace is self-selected rather than externally imposed—are scarce, and those that exist generally achieve only modest accuracy and require intracranial implants. Here, we aim to decode self-paced locomotion speed non-invasively and continuously using cortex-wide electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from rats. Approach. We introduce an …

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy For Monitoring Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection In Experimentally Challenged Calves, Erin Blanchard, Jelena Muncan, Grace Beddingfield, Cassandra Barber, Florencia Meyer, Santiago Cornejo, Merrilee Thoresen, Amelia Woolums, Carrie Vance

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a multifactorial disease complex that causes significant economic loss in the cattle industry. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), one of the primary viruses included in BRD, primarily targets the lower respiratory tract and causes a wide variety of subclinical and clinical signs. Current diagnosis techniques require off-site laboratory testing, creating delays that allow BRSV to spread through herds and highlighting the need for rapid diagnostic methods. The objective of the study was to evaluate near-infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for BRSV detection across varying infection severities. Twenty-two Holstein bull calves were reared in research …

Differential Roles Of Moesin And Vasp In Β-Catenin-Associated Networks During Zebrafish Heart Regeneration, Allen Rutman

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

With cardiovascular disease remaining as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, it is largely due to the limited regenerative capacity of the human heart. However, zebrafish (Danio rerio) can fully regenerate cardiac tissue following injury, providing a valuable model for studying the mechanisms of heart repair. To investigate these mechanisms, we used proteomics methods in the past. Proximity labeling is a technique that identifies proteins based on their physical proximity to a protein of interest. It can be applied in organisms and in living cells (Roux et al., 2012; Cho et al., 2020). We used proximity labeling to characterize protein …

Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum) Meal Modulates Growth Efficiency, Gut Morphology, And Systemic Health In Broiler Chickens, Eric Lim Teik Chung, Yee Lyn Ong, Nazri Nayan, Muhamad Faris Ab Aziz, Faez Firdaus Abdullah Jesse, Faizal Andri, Arissara Sopawong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Grass and leaf meals, which include vital phytocompounds, have the potential to be a natural and safe alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry. Therefore, this study aims to assess Pennisetum purpureum leaf meal and its phytocompounds on the health performances of colored-broilers. A total of 216 unsexed Sasso chicks were assigned to six diet groups. The negative control (T1) received a commercial basal diet without antibiotics, while the positive control (T2) received the same diet with oxytetracycline (100 mg/kg). Groups T3 to T6 received no antibiotics and included P. purpureum meal at 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, or 5.00 grams per …

Lovastatin Potentiates The Function Of Α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Dmytro Isaev, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Murat Oz

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: Statins are currently one of the most commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs. In recent years, in addition to their well-known effects on the cardiovascular system, statins have been shown to exert beneficial effects in the progression of various neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: In this study, the effects of lovastatin on the function of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors expressed in rat hippocampus and Xenopus oocytes were investigated. Results: In whole-cell patch clamp studies in hippocampal neurons, 21-day chronic (20 mg/kg), but not acute (20 min), lovastatin treatment caused significant potentiation of choline (a selective agonist for α7 nACh receptors)-induced currents …

Increased Neural Activity In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis Of Uninfected Canaries After Observation Of Infected Conspecifics, Madeleine Chang, Sophia Santangelo, Devon Comito, Bennett Hardy, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Recent evidence suggests that the immune system may be upregulated in anticipation of pathogen exposure, yet the neural mechanisms that respond to and signal impending infection risk remain poorly understood. We investigated neural responses to infection risk in uninfected hosts observing infected conspecifics, using the canary (Serinus canaria domestica)—Mycoplasma gallisepticum host–parasite system. We focused on five brain regions of interest, comprising three nodes of the social decision-making network—preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and hippocampus—a stress modulatory region (paraventricular nucleus) and a visual processing region (nucleus rotundus). After 1 h of observing infected canaries, …

Effects Of Normothermic Hepatic Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury On The Hepatic Disposition Of Arachidonic Acid And Its Cytochrome P450-Generated Metabolites In Rats, Vindhya Edpuganti, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

Cytochrome P450 (P450) metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) are potential therapeutic targets in ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury, yet their disposition and actions in hepatic IR are unknown. Cellular AA and its P450 metabolites are primarily bound to lipid membranes, resulting in negligible free concentrations. This study investigates how hepatic IR injury impacts the disposition of free AA and its major P450 metabolites in rats.

Methods

Rats underwent 60 min of partial (70%) ischemia or sham surgery, followed by 5 min, 3 h, or 24 h of reperfusion. The effects of IR injury on free concentrations of AA and its major …

Care As Method: Sound, Duration, Relation In Contemporary Art Practice, Violet L. White

MFA in Visual Art

Abstract Care as Method: Sound, Duration, and Multispecies Relation in Contemporary Art Practice

This thesis proposes care as a method of artmaking, not a subject, theme, or aesthetic position, but the actual structural logic through which a body of work is built, sustained, and understood. Working at the intersection of ecological art practice and relational aesthetics, it asks what happens when the encounter at the center of the work is not between two people but between species, infrastructures, and histories of use and what obligations that encounter generates.

The argument is developed through six interconnected works: installations, sound compositions, sculptures, …

Odor Vs. Direction Prioritization In Shelter Navigation By The Whip Spider Phrynus Marginemaculatus, Aiden Barno, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Verner Peter Bingman, Sidney Tyler Ley

Honors Projects

Arthropod navigation is known to rely on a variety of multisensory strategies, yet the prioritization of these cues in whip spiders remains poorly understood. This study examined whether Phrynus marginemaculatus prioritizes olfactory cues or idioethic directional cues when the two cues directly conflict with one another. Twelve subjects were trained to associate a shelter with both a specific odor (geraniol or 1‑hexanol) and a consistent directional movement (left or right) from the release site. In a subsequent test trial, odor and direction were dissociated, and subjects’ time spent in front of each shelter was used to determine an association index …

Effect Of A Probiotic Microbial Gel Jointly With Two Versions Of Supplemental Direct-Fed Microbials In Receiving Cattle Diets On Growth Performance And Health, John Mitchell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective was to assess the effect of a probiotic microbial gel (BIOFRESH® Microbial Gel, Agrarian Solutions) administered on arrival in combination with feeding one of two different direct-fed microbials (DFM 365a or DFM 365b, Agrarian Solutions) on the health and growth performance of stocker calves at high risk for bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Beef heifer calves (n = 292, BW = 476 ± 5 lb) arriving on 3 separate receiving dates were used in the 42-day receiving study. On arrival (d -1), heifers were processed, stratified by d -1 body weight, and then assigned randomly to 9 pens (10 …

Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States, Marley Lanier

Honors Theses

This study explores how the tempo of music, measured in beats per minute (BPM), affects dogs' heart rate and oxytocin levels, adding to past research that shows that music affects physiological and behavioral states in dogs. Being able to understand these effects holds practical implications for improving overall well-being in canines in environments such as homes, shelters, and clinical environments. Using a within-subjects design, the dogs were exposed to slow and fast versions of one instrumental track, along with a white noise baseline condition before each randomized condition. Heart rate was recorded continuously throughout the session, and oxytocin saliva samples …

The Beat Behind The Bark: Investigating The Effects Of Music Tempo On Canine Physiological And Psychological States, Marley Lanier

Poster Presentations

Music is a universal component of human culture that has been demonstrated influencing emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses, specifically heart rate and hormonal responses (Mehr et al., 2019; Trappe, 2012). Recently, this research has expended to explore how music may affect non-human animals, particularly dogs, due to their roles as therapy animals, service animals, and human companions (Lindig et al., 2020; Gee et al., 2021). Being able to understand how music influences canine stress and relaxation hold important applications in environments such as shelters, veterinary clinics, and at home. One important feature of music is tempo, or beats per minute …

Acute Effects Of The Psychoactive Pollutant Fluoxetine On The Antipredator Behavior Of The Gulf Killifish (Fundulus Grandis), Semyra Reus

Honors Theses

Pharmaceutical contaminants are increasingly prevalent in aquatic environments, yet their sublethal effects on ecologically relevant behaviors remain poorly understood, particularly in estuarine systems. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine, are of particular concern due to the conserved role of serotonin in regulating behavior across vertebrates. Here, we investigated how acute exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine influences anti-predator behavior in Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis), a key estuarine fish commonly found in saltmarsh habitats. Killifish were exposed to control (0 ng/L), low (17.8 ng/L), and high (596 ng/L) fluoxetine concentrations and subsequently tested in the presence …

A Tractable Nematode Model For The Emerging Fungal Pathogen, Candida Auris, Melissa Martinez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant opportunistic fungal pathogen. It

poses a significant threat to immunocompromised patients and those with prolonged stays in

healthcare facilities. C. auris spreads rapidly in health care facilities through enhanced

colonization of skin and abiotic surfaces. The genetic factors contributing to this ability and to

the virulence, drug resistance, and stress-tolerant nature of C. auris are largely unknown.

Current animal models of C. auris infections are not well standardized and report conflicting

results. Additional animal models of virulence are needed, especially those amenable to high-

throughput analysis. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been validated as …

Feeding Ecology In Coastal Systems, Randi L. Cannon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are critical foundation species in estuaries, providing numerous ecological and economic benefits. However, oyster populations have diminished worldwide. Effective oyster restoration and aquaculture require a mechanistic understanding of the physiological and environmental factors that govern oyster feeding, growth, and resilience under changing coastal conditions. We investigated how oyster ploidy and environmental conditions influenced oyster feeding and investigated how changes in abiotic conditions affected behavioral performance of oyster drills (Stramonita spp.), a key oyster predator. To better understand feeding responses and behaviors of both predator and prey we 1) used in-situ filter feeding assays to determine if feeding …

Decomposition Study Using Pigs In Southeastern Nebraska During The Fall And Winter Seasons, Ryan Bodine

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

When an individual is found deceased, one of the tools used in the identification process is estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI). This estimate is used to determine how long an individual has been deceased once their remains are found. To estimate an accurate PMI, knowing how decomposition is affected by external factors is key. The transition period from fall to winter in southeastern Nebraska consists of fluctuating temperatures as the seasons transfer from fall to winter. This thesis investigates how decomposition is affected during this transition period while also looking at two different environments that are common in Nebraska, prairies …

Amyloid Beta-42 Neurotoxicity In Drosophila Retinal Development, Shay O. Sims, Pierce Duncan, Malachi Abon, Jacob G. Smith

Create@State

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders globally. Thus far, the underlying mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of AD are innately elusive. Two hallmarks associated with the progression of AD exist, including Amyloid-Beta 42 (Aβ42) protein plaque formation and hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins in neurons. Amyloid-beta is known to concentrate with other neuronal proteins as complexes form, including the cytoskeletal protein actin. However, whether actin contributes to neuronal decline in AD is unknown. To further understand the cellular cascades associated with AD, we investigated the role of cytoskeleton dynamics in modulating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation within …

Bluebird Bait: Quantifying The Attraction Of Ectoparasites To Nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Ella Grace Bollinger

ATU Scholars Symposium

Ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), blackflies (Simuliidae), and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), have been shown to reduce population viability by lowering post-fledging survival and decreasing the lifetime reproductive success of adult birds. This issue is particularly concerning for songbirds such as the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) because their nestlings are relatively naked and have limited mobility, making them highly vulnerable to attacks by biting flies. However, the specific mechanisms attracting ectoparasites to nests remain understudied. We hypothesized that biting fly and mosquito abundance would be significantly higher at active Eastern Bluebird nests than that of empty boxes and would increase with …

The Effects Of Sun Exposure On The Intensity And Distribution Of Salamander Biofluorescence, Julianne Chairez

Scholars Week

Salamanders have been used in a variety of different experiments to  determine the health of various ecosystems. Biofluorescence was recently studied in  amphibians in a study done in 2020. Not much is known about all its functions,  more studies are needed to fully understand how it works and how it can be affected  by environmental factors. Learning more about the functions of salamander  biofluorescence could lead to a greater understanding of how pollutants and human  impacts can affect salamanders and the health of their ecosystems. This project  aims to focus on tiger salamander biofluorescence and how its distribution and  intensity …

Water Sources And Livelihood Choices Among Pastoralist Households In Monduli District, Tanzania, Fredrick Alleni Mfinanga, Jacqueline Temba, Monica F. Timbuka

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper investigates the association between types of water sources for livestock and livelihood choices of pastoralist households in semi-arid areas of Monduli District, Tanzania. Specifically, it aims to examine the influence of the types of water sources for livestock on livelihood diversification of pastoralist households. Using a mixed research methods approach, the data were collected from 367 households through three methods: surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and counts, and inferential statistics, Chi-square tests and correlation, while the qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed …

No Effect In Plasma Corticosterone Levels After Observation Of Diseased Conspecifics, B. M. Hardy, M. Chang, S. Mccallum, S. Santangelo, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Organisms commonly respond to stressors in their environment by increasing the secretion of corticosterone (CORT). While increased CORT is acknowledged as a response to predation risk by organisms inhabiting a landscape of fear, new research raises the potential for changes in CORT as a response to the risk of infection by organisms in their environment. An increase in CORT of a healthy, uninfected individual in response to their perception of the risk of infection in their environment could change their susceptibility to infection, highlighting a significant role for CORT to alter host–pathogen dynamics. To investigate the effects of infection risk …

Beta-Casomorphin7 Detection In Milk From Dairy Species And Beta-Casein Protein Characterization In Cattle From Selected Provinces In The Philippines, Angelo M. Tapia, Cynthia R. Oliveros Maria, Queennie Hope D. Umipon, Hazel Marie E. Nicolas, Naoya Ogawa, Yasuyuki Kitaura

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

This study was conducted to detect β-casomorphin7 (BCM7) in dairy animals and to characterize the β-casein (CSN2) genotype among dairy cattle breeds in the Philippines. A total of 59 dairy animals, composed of 35 cattle (12 Holstein Sahiwal [HS16 Jersey × Holstein Friesian [JHF], and 7 Siquijor Native Cattle [SNC]), 15 buffaloes (Bulgarian Murrah and Brazilian Murrah), and 9 goats (Saanen and Anglo-Nubian) were collected with milk samples. Milk protein was extracted and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) analysis after stimulated gastrointestinal digestion. BCM7 was detected in cattle with an average concentration of 0.322 + 0.080, whereas …

Mechanical Characterization And Modeling Of Rat Myocardia Under The Influence Of Epirubicin, Abdallah Mahmoud Alkhaiyat

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains a predominant health challenge that is responsible for a significant portion of global morbidity and mortality. Epirubicin (EPI), a chemotherapeutic anti-cancer drug, has shown remarkable efficacy in combating various malignancies. However, it is known to have undesirable side effects on the heart, collectively referred to as cardiotoxicity. This research investigates the adverse effects of chemotherapy on cardiac contractility through an in vitro examination of the mechanics of healthy and infarcted animal heart tissues. Electrically stimulated slices of rat ventricular tissue were tested using an isometric force measurement tissue bath. The tissue slices were subjected to uniaxial stretching, allowing …

20% Caloric Restriction Did Not Impact Bone Health Nor Exercise-Induced Elevations In Bone Mass In Young Female Rats, Ken D. Sumida, Brady Slater, Haley Folta, Kassandra Lee, Sarina Karwande, Quinton Wong, S. Victoria Jaque, Frank Frisch

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

The purpose of this study was to determine if a 6-week 20% caloric restrictive (CR) diet, with or without resistance training, would impact bone health in growing young female rats. Forty female rats (~ 5 wks old) were randomly divided into the following groups: baseline (n = 8), sedentary fed a normal diet (N, n = 8), sedentary fed a 20% CR diet (D, n = 8), resistance trained fed a normal diet (NT, n = 8), and resistance trained fed a 20% CR diet (DT, n = 8). The exercise groups were conditioned to climb a vertical ladder …

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers Of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across The Isles Of Shoals, Aimee D. Bousquet, April Blakeslee, Amy Fowler, David Buck

UNH URC Open (2026 and after)

Parasite Party: Investigating Ecological Drivers of Trematode Parasite Prevalence Across the Isles of Shoals

Disrupted Circadian Rhythms Affect Hallmark Pathologies In Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Mouse Models, Valeria Buzinova

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with two hallmark pathologies: extracellular amyloid-b (Ab) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Ab is proteolytically processed from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by b-secretase and g-secretase as a monomeric peptide prone to aggregation. Eventually, the aggregate-prone monomers will form dense plaques that are difficult to break down and remove. These plaques begin to deposit into the cortex decades prior to the formation of NFTs and the onset of cognitive decline. NFTs are comprised of hyper-phosphorylated tau. Tau is a protein that serves to promote and stabilize the formation of microtubules. The formation of …